Our Staff

Meet The Pilates Center Staff

The Pilates Center is staffed with the most experienced and highly trained instructors in the Williamsburg area.

Even our out-of-town clients are amazed at the quality of our instructors and facility. Our clients tell us they feel they receive good value for their Pilates dollars because of our level of knowledge, service, and variety of equipment. Our staff attends monthly trainings to keep up with cutting edge exercise and muscle protocols. Come see for yourself!

Mary-Jane Bell Amrein

Founder

Mary-Jane started in the fitness field in 1981 as a part-time aerobics instructor in the evenings after serving as an Extension Agent for Virginia Tech. She then left that career to devote full time to fitness and founded Aerobics Plus, a full service gym in 1986. She ran and expanded that business for 20 years introducing the area for the first time to step aerobics, water aerobics, spinning, and pilates. While owner of Aerobics Plus she was honored by the Williamsburg Area Chamber of Commerce as "Small Business Person of the Year". She sold the business to focus on pilates and created The Pilates Center starting with 2 reformers and expanding to its current location with 10 reformers, 4 Cadillacs and other various small pieces of pilates equipment to provide a complete pilates experience.

Certifications include:

Stott Certified Instructor

Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist

Personal Trainer Certification for Dr. Ken Cooper's

Aerobic Institute of Research in Dallas Texas

American Council on Exercise (ACE), Gold Certified Aerobic Instructor

Medical Exercise Specialist Certification

B.S. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Tech

George Amrein

Instructor

George has been a Stott Pilates instructor since 2005 with advanced training in Injury and Special Populations , Rehabilitation, Balanced Body University Integrated Tower Pilates, and Muscle Activation Techniques Jump Start Program. As an avid golfer he has helped clients improve their golf game by understanding the movements of the game and the flexibility and strength it requires. He has also helped clients reduce pain and strengthen areas of the hip, knee back and core through the magic of pilates.

He has over 35 years of past experience in a traditional gym and is a good instructor for those transitioning from the gym to a core and spine-based pilates program.

George has a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland. As a former McDonald's franchisee owner he has discovered it is more fun to make people fit and healthy than fat!

Elizabeth Michael Faxon

Master Instructor

Elizabeth joined The Pilates Center’s team in 2004. She began instructing in 2005 after completing her STOTT Certification Training. Her certification includes Reformer Levels 1 and 2, Mat Pilates Level 1, 2, and 3, Cadillac, Chair and Barrels, Levels 1 and 2, and Injury and Special Populations. Elizabeth also received her certification in Muscle Activation’s Jump Start Program as well as Balanced Body University’s Integrated Tower Pilates. She has experience with clients who are interested in general fitness, as well as those who have had hip, shoulder, and knee replacements, spinal surgeries, stroke rehabilitation, pre and post natal women, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, and various types of cancer.

Elizabeth also instructs our Bounce~A~Lot~eze Rebounder classes. Seeing her clients success through pilates exercise/rehabilitation is what keeps her excited about instructing and learning.

Nick Lessinger-Bely

Instructor

Prior to becoming a Stott trained pilates instructor in 2012, Nick had been practicing pilates at The Pilates Center for over 13 years. He is a competitive racquetball player, cyclist and avid skier. Using pilates exercises, he has helped high school and college athletes not only recover from injury but also strengthen muscles to improve their performance in football, swimming, baseball and La Crosse. His golf clients have also noticed a big improvement in their game.

Nick also has experience with clients with Multiple Sclerosis, brain tumors, Muscular Dystrophy and post hip replacement surgery. He has attended several advanced pilates training for Injury and Special Populations and Rehabilitation. Nick has a B.F.A from Indiana University and a M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Patty Suttle

Instructor

Patty is a certified STOTT Instructor, since 2013, for Intensive Reformer and is certified by STOTT in Injury and Special Populations. She completed extensive training on the Pilates Cadillac /Trapeze, Stability Chair, Arc Barrel and Ladder Barrel. As a practitioner and trainer , Patty is continuously inspired by how Pilates re‐educates and heals the body. She enjoys working with people of all fitness levels, as well teaching Pilates for rehabilitation. She has extensive experience training clients with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Lymes Disease, Down Syndrome, pregnancy, joint replacements and pre and post op cancer surgery. Patty has a B.A. In Sociology with a concentration in Gerontology from the State University of New York at Cortland.

Maura Monroe

Instructor

Maura completed her Stott Pilates Intensive Reformer Instructor training in 2015. She has also completed extensive training on the pilates Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Arc Barrel and Ladder Barrel. After practicing pilates for two years and recognizing the remarkable benefits she experienced she decided to become an instructor. She has experience with pre and post surgical clients, and those with joint hyper mobility disorder and fibromyalgia. Pilates has been very beneficial for reducing her clients' pain and increasing their functionality.

Maura has a B.A. in English and taught high school English for fifteen years.

Our Mission

Improve the health and fitness of our clients through education of our staff and clients. We will treat you with honesty and integrity and provide exceptional customer service.